In modem commercial and residential construction interior wall surfaces are typically formed from flat modular units affixed to wood or metal studs. These units, know as sheet rock, gypsum board, or generically herein as drywall, come in standard dimensions which are abutted to form a continuous surface. In order to present a surface which is unmarked by seams, it is necessary to position bridging tape which overlaps the seam and which supports a coating of a wet plaster-like compound known as mud. The mud is applied to obscure any variations in the wall profile, and to form the wall surface into an uninterrupted expanse.
Conventional drywall tape is typically a simple kraft paper strip which is adhered to the drywall surfaces by a coating of mud. Because the mud must be applied as the tape is positioned, operators must take care not to discharge the mud onto non-work surfaces. In addition, once the drywall tape has been applied an installer must wait as much as a day for the mud to dry before a final surface coat of mud can be applied.
Self-adhesive drywall tapes have been previously suggested. However these tapes have relied on a removable release backing strip which must be peeled away from the tape as it is applied, providing a complicating additional step to the taping operation.
What is needed is a tape for drywall installation which may be applied in a single step, without the need for removal of a release backing, and which permits immediate application of drywall mud.